The subject matter herein relates generally to pressing tools, and more particularly to disabling devices for pressing tools.
Pressing tools are known and in use for a wide range of applications that press, form, crimp, cut or otherwise manipulate one or more components. For example, one particular application that uses pressing tools is a crimping application in which a terminal is crimped to an end of a wire. Some known pressing tools are hydraulically actuated to drive one or more parts of the tool toward one another during a pressing operation. Hydraulic pressing tools include a hydraulic pump that pumps hydraulic fluid to drive a piston or actuator through a pressing stroke. Such hydraulic pressing tools are typically equipped with a fluid dump button that may be pressed by the operator during any portion or the pressing stroke to release the pressure of the tool. For example, if the components, such as the terminal and/or the wire, are improperly positioned within the tool, the operator may stop the pressing operation to readjust the position of the components or to discard the components altogether. Additionally, if the tool is in danger of pressing components that should not be pressed by the tool, the operator may stop the pressing operation and retract the tooling by dumping the hydraulic fluid. If the operator's fingers are in the crimp zone between the moving components of the tool, the operator may stop the pressing operation and retract the tooling. Other reasons may exist for which the operator may desire to stop the pressing operation and retract the tooling.
In the example of the crimping application, the terminal may be only partially crimped to the wire when the fluid dump button is activated by the operator. Additionally, it is possible that the fluid dump button be inadvertently pressed by the operator, releasing the pressure of the tool. When the pressing tool does not complete the pressing stroke, a partial crimp may result. The operator may be unaware that a partial crimp has occurred. An improper or inadequate mechanical and/or electrical connection may result from a partial crimp. If such terminals are eventually used in a piece of equipment or other electrical system, the equipment and/or system may ultimately fail as a result of the inadequate mechanical or electrical connection between the partially crimp terminal and wire. In some industries, such failure is unacceptable and potentially fatal. For example, in the aerospace industry, if part of a system within an airplane were to fail, a crash may result. As such, certain industries have high quality control standards. Certain industries or production facilities have regulations that require a partially crimp terminal to be discarded. As a result, whenever the fluid dump button of a pressing tool is activated, the terminal being crimped is required to be discarded. Some industries or production facilities may require that a supervisor verify that the terminal has been discarded.
A need remains for a pressing device having a disabling device that also provides indication that the device has been activated. A need remains for a pressing device having high quality control features.